


astro travelers

by orphan_account



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Flirting, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Recreational Drug Use, i feel a fresh start in this chilis tonight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23782510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After the open mic.
Relationships: Forrest Long/Alex Manes
Comments: 20
Kudos: 75





	astro travelers

Sweet, cool air fills his lungs as he steps outside the Wild Pony. Stars shimmer across windshields and bleed into the sky. After the commotion of the bar, the desert-silence of crickets and coyotes is refreshing.

Alex cuts around the corner and finds Forrest, leaned up against the back wall. “You’re missing a truly spectacular rendition of ‘Poker Face.’”

Caught out, Forrest grins. “Smoke break.” He slips a joint from his pocket in one hand, lighter in the other. Pauses. Meets Alex’s eyes with an offering look. “Wanna join me?”

Alex almost laughs. Jesus, he hasn’t gotten high since he was seventeen. 

The settle shoulder to shoulder against the back of the Wild Pony, a pleasant coolness seeping into Alex from the metal siding, head to tailbone. A snap of the lighter, flicker of flame. Forrest passes it over, smoke curling from the edges of his smile. Alex lets his head fall back, inhales too fast and immediately starts coughing. 

Forrest reaches out half-way, stopping himself from touching. Alex shakes his head, tears burning the corners of his eyes, grin wide on his face. 

“Sorry,” he says, after clearing his lungs. “I swear to god I used to be cool.” 

“No worries.” Forrest gestures for Alex to try again when he tries to pass it back, so he does, a clean, slow burn filling his chest. Forrest pinches the joint, their fingertips brushing. Alex exhales in a straight-forward stream, watching the rising smoke wave and flutter through the air. Memories of a lifetime ago stir, being so young, so unaware of what the future had in store for them all. Forrest takes another hit, then stubs it against the wall. Their breaths mingle in the space beyond, all that emptiness dark and quiet. 

“I liked your poem, by the way,” Alex says in a rush, kicking himself for not mentioning it sooner. The weed is already enveloping his senses, warm and fluid and a lot stronger than the shit he remembers from high school. He touches his fingers to the cool metal to ground himself.

“Yeah?” Forrest grins brightly again. It seems so effortless, for him, to express what he feels. Makes Alex want to be a little braver.

“Yeah. It was… very honest.” Alex struggles to grasp the thoughts that went through his brain as he heard it. Many of them had to do with Forrest’s eyes, his hands, the sound of his voice, but he had real opinions at work, too.

“Thanks, man.” Forrest touches his chest, rings glinting. “You should get up there, next time.”

Alex smiles, shakes his head. “No, no, no. I mean, I’m not a poet.”

“Doesn’t have to be poetry.” Forrest’s eyebrows lift, head angling to stare at Alex. “I can tell you’re an artist, right?”

Alex closes his eyes. His palms stretch, fingers finding C major on imaginary keys, drumming metal. He feels suddenly seen; it hurts good, like stretching a sore muscle. “I play music,” he says, meeting Forrest’s gaze, because why the fuck not? Maybe he is the guy who plays music and gets high with handsome guys behind a bar. Maybe he can be whoever he decides.

“You should come,” says Forrest. “Play me a song.” His tone is light, casual. His stare is overwhelming; water cresting above Alex, waiting and ready to wash him out.

“Maybe,” he says, twisting his head to the side to smile at his own shoulder. 

Forrest steps away from the wall, jacket pockets hugging inwards. He points with his chin to the Wild Pony. “I should get back. Coming?”

“I _was_ promised a drink.” They fall into a slow pace back to the entrance.

Another laugh, light and easy. “You were. And I never disappoint.”

Alex says mildly, "We'll see."

Forrest stops, one hand on the door, glancing back at Alex with surprise. He scans Alex, so brazen about it, and before Alex’s natural self-conscious instinct can fight itself to the forefront of his pleasant haze, Forrest says, “Fair enough,” and holds the door open like a gentleman, waiting for Alex with a wide, sunny smile. 

Alex steps on through.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> obviously i dont think alex would get high while on active duty but like. aliens are getting busy at the gay bar across town so lets just slide that under suspension of disbelief. im vibing w/alex getting an artsy beau who will paint his nails and write ballads about him


End file.
